Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 'Modi Can Do Everything,' Says Shah; Security Tightened In Bengal's Nandigram After BJP Worker's Death

Mayawati has relieved her nephew Akash Anand of his responsibilities as the Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) national coordinator and as her political successor until he attains “full maturity”, but there are many other young Dalit leaders in Uttar Pradesh (UP) who are gaining prominence in state politics.

Amid the peppermint farms of Barabanki’s Karpiya village, a discussion about one of them, who is an IITian, brews. “[Tanuj] Punia ji itna bada pariksha pass kiye hain, woh chhaatron ki samasya samajhte hain (Punia ji has passed such a big exam, he understands the problems students face),” Ram Lalli, mother of six, says. The other women nod in agreement. What all of them have in common besides being the victims of rising prices and crippling hunger is having at least one or two unemployed children or family members “wasting their education, toiling on farms”. Lalli says the repeated paper leaks in UP have quashed their hopes for jobs.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asserted that she “will not accept” the Calcutta High Court order scrapping the OBC status of several classes in the state.

She hinted that the government could challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

“The OBC reservation quota introduced by the West Bengal government will continue. We had drafted the Bill after conducting a house-to-house survey, and it was passed by the cabinet and the assembly,” she said.

"If necessary, we will move a higher court (against the order)," the TMC supremo said.

Banerjee accused the BJP of conspiring to stall the OBC quota by using central agencies.

"Some people have gone to the court, moved a petition to sabotage the interest of OBCs and then this development takes place. How can the saffron party show such audacity?" she said.

(PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a swipe at the Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal after the Calcutta HC judgment scrapping all the OBC certificates issued in the state after 2010.

"Today, the Kolkata High Court has given a tight slap to the INDI Alliance. The court has cancelled all the OBC certificates issued after 2010 in Bengal. It has been done because the West Bengal issued an OBC certificate to the Muslims. Their politics and obsession of vote bank and appeasement have crossed all limits," Modi said at a rally in Delhi's Dwarka.

Taking a jibe at the Congress and party leader Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi said, "Today, the prince of Congress has accepted a big truth. He has accepted that the system that was created during the time of his grandmother, his father and his mother has been staunchly opposed to the Dalits, backward classes and tribals."

"This system of Congress has destroyed many generations of SC-ST-OBC," he added.

Prime minister Narendra Modi will start his election campaign in Punjab by holding the first rally in Patiala on Thursday. He will also address rallies in Gurdaspur and Jalandhar on May 24.

Meanwhile, farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal had said that farmers will show black flags to PM Modi when he visits Punjab for poll campaigning.

Speaking to reporters after the rally in Jagraon on Tuesday, Rajewal said, "We have today decided that when Modi comes to Punjab, we will hold a protest against him by showing black flags."

Rajewal said farmers have been opposing BJP leaders ever since the Lok Sabha elections were announced. "Modi's policies are pro-corporate," Rajewal alleged.

Farmer leaders, however, claimed that their protest would be peaceful.

(PTI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that his party aims to ensure the participation of the country's 90 per cent population in the country's progress.

He asserted that the country's 90 per cent population including the Dalits, OBCs, tribal communities and the minorities does not have representation in the country's narrative and power structure.

Addressing an event in Panchkula this evening, Gandhi took a swipe at the BJP, saying the saffron party's "end" is coming.

TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday hit out at the BJP needs to be voted out of power so that the reservation rights of the people are protected.

A change is imminent at the Centre and the TMC would play a crucial role in forming the new government, Banerjee said at rallies in Salboni and Nandigram.

"The BJP is trying to snatch away the reservation rights of OBCs, STs, and SCs. Giving them a single vote is similar to giving away your rights," the TMC national general secretary said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the opposition INDIA bloc over the corruption issue and asked should the government not take action against the corrupt.

Singh was campaigning for the BJP's Lok Sabha poll candidates in Haryana.

Referring to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest in a money laundering case linked to the excise case, Singh said, "Kejriwal would claim to be the most honest person. Now, he says he has been jailed by Modi ji...should our government not take action against corruption?".

"Earlier they (Congress) did not let the ED and CBI to work. During the Congress' 55-year rule, the ED, CBI had seized just Rs 32 lakh in corruption matters," he said. (PTI)

A delegation of the Delhi BJP on Wednesday met the Chief Electoral Officer in the national capital, demanding proper verification of women voters wearing 'burqa' or face masks with the help of female officials during May 25 elections.

It said that the step would prevent "anti-social and anti-democratic elements" from "rigging" the election on seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital.

This comes amid a recent controversy over BJP Hyderabad candidate Madhavi Latha being booked by election officials for allegedly making 'burqa' clad voters show their faces for verification.

CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday said the "directive" issued by the Election Commission does not address the issues raised by his party in its complaints, and accused the poll panel of handling "grievous" poll code violations with "kid gloves".

In a post on X, Yechury said, "None of the issues raised in our complaints against the incendiary communal speeches of Modi and other BJP leaders have been addressed by ECI in today's directive."

Following the Election Commission's directions to both the BJP and Congress on Wednesday, asking them to correct their discourse amid the "plummeting quality of their campaign", Congress accused the poll body of "showing undue deference to the party in power".

Congress claimed that statements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are in no way comparable to those made by its leaders.

"Level-playing playing field cannot mean drawing a wholly bogus equivalence," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.

In a post on X, Ramesh alleged that the statements made by PM Modi and Shah using "religion in political campaigning" are a blatant violation of the model code and against Supreme Court judgements.

Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam said, "Rahul Gandhi is a 'Mahapurush', he can say anything...Mahatma Gandhi saw a dream of the end of Congress and nobody could do it, not even BJP, but now Rahul Gandhi himself is doing it. Rahul Gandhi is finishing off Congress and fulfilling his responsibility."

"Not just me but crores of Congress workers across the country is aware of this fact...after 4th June, Congress will be the party to win the least number of seats, till now," he added.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, "INDIA Alliance will get a minimum of 300 seats. This is our assessment. We have done very well in South India in these elections. Everyone said that BJP is going to sweep North India or repeat the same number which they got the last time."

"This is not going to happen at all. Our internal report is very clear. Rajasthan, Haryana, UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Delhi - all these places, Congress and INDIA Alliance will get more seats. It is a clear winning situation for INDIA Alliance," he added.

Congress leader KC Venugopal said, "We have never such low-level remarks from a person of the stature of Prime Minister. Only a desperate person can do these kinds of things. He is lying. He is trying to mislead the country with false narratives. People know about the truth now."

"You cannot mislead the country every time...Their (BJP) MPs are saying that they want 400 seats to change the Constitution. It is not told by us but by them...These people want an autocratic government, not a democratic government," he added.

Venugopal further said, "We are thankful to the Prime Minister because he has given much publicity for our manifesto, even though he is setting a false narrative of the manifesto..."

Delhi Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, "We will win Raebareli with a great majority and we will certainly bring back Amethi. Both the seats will be Congress'...The ground reports are very clear...We are going to reduce BJP's number very drastically in Uttar Pradesh. We are going to get a minimum of half of the seats in Uttar Pradesh."

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said that its services will commence at 4 am on the day of the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, May 25.

The decision was made to ensure convenient transportation for the staff deployed for election duty, Principal Executive Director of Corporate Communications at DMRC, Anuj Dayal said.

Congress candidate from Delhi's Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha, JP Agarwal, is holding an election campaign in Keshavpuram.

"During the elections, you go out and meet people. I have come here, regarding that... Today, people are against the central government due to inflation and unemployment. They want to see the change. I can witness this in the elections. INDIA alliance will win all the seats in Delhi," Agarwal told news agency ANI.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed "a huge coal scam" under the BJP government.

"Through this scam that has been going on for years, Modiji's favorite friend Adani has looted thousands of crores of rupees by selling low-grade coal at three times the price, the price of which the common people have paid from their pockets by paying expensive electricity bills," Rahul said in a post on X.

"Will the Prime Minister tell how many tempos were used to keep ED, CBI and IT quiet on this open corruption?" he asked.

The Congress leader, in his X post in Hindi, further said, "After June 4, the Indian government will investigate this mega scam and account for every penny looted from the public."

The Election Commission on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that disclosure of polling station-wise voter turnout data will cause chaos in the election machinery which is already in motion for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The EC also dismissed as false and misleading the allegation that the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections saw an increase of "5-6 per cent" in the voter turnout data released on the day of polling and in the subsequent press releases for each of the two phases.

BJP MP and party's candidate from Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur, Maneka Gandhi was asked Rahul Gandhi and Varun Gandhi, who are cousins.

"...Opportunity depends on ability, one who has the ability will make their way. It's a misconception that parties are run by MPs, our party has crores of people who run it and MPs are just 300-400, don't we think that others are leaders?" Maneka Gandhi said.

BJP workers were protesting in Purba Medinipur of West Bengal's Nandigram and blocked road after a party worker died in an alleged attack by miscreants on a few houses last night.

Local party workers allege that the attack was carried out by TMC workers.

Union Minister Smriti Irani took part in a roadshow in support of BJP candidate from Delhi's Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat, Praveen Khandelwal.

Praveen Khandelwal is pitted against Congress party's JP Agarwal from the constituency. All seven Lok Sabha seats of Delhi will go to polls on 25th May, in the 6th phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Slamming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, BJP national president JP Nadda said he "roams around with a copy of the constitution but when the Calcutta High Court gives a decision on such an issue and Muslim appeasement is exposed then they remain silent."

"The people of the country will teach such people a lesson in this election. The people of West Bengal also will teach Mamata Banerjee a lesson," Nadda said.

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday struck down as illegal the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal granted since 2010, sparking a political debate in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections.

The court observed that inclusion of 77 classes of Muslims in the list of backward categories was to “treat them as vote bank”.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said the Election Commission was "egregiously wrong" in directing his party not to 'politicise' the Agnipath scheme, asserting that it is the right of an Opposition party to criticise a policy of the government.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "This election is the election of pride of Odisha. The CM of Odisha can't meet someone alone, and can't even talk to anyone as Pandian is always there with him. We need to know if Naveen Babu himself wants Pandian to be with him or if Pandian has played some game due to which Naveen Babu is unable to get out of that grip."

"I think a High Court judge needs to talk to Naveen Babu if he is happy or not... If a CM is in a hostage situation, it's not good for the country... I think Pandian has captured Naveen Babu," he added.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, "We talk about the achievements of the Modi government and bring forth the failure of state Congress government in front of the people. The country needs stability, continuity and a Modi government once again."

TMC Bhadohi candidate Lalitesh Pati Tripathi said, "Our campaign is better. We have more penetration among the public as compared to BJP... The people want change. When they came up with the slogan (of AB ki baar 400 paar), the fight (election) was not even started. The people did not have any other option."

"As the people started getting other options, they made up their minds. Now, the fight is not one-sided. Even we are dominant in this fight... Now, the people of BJP themselves do not believe in the '400 paar' slogan," he added.

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, "We have the goal to win 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh and BJP, along with its alliance, is going to achieve that goal. Be it SP, BSP or Congress - they are all 'bayaanveer'."

"They have nothing concrete on the ground. Nobody wants goons, criminals and mafia. Everyone wants good governance, security and development," he added.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said, "There is a wave against the BJP in Haryana...People are tired of their (BJP) politics...There is too much unemployment, inflation is at its peak...Change will come."

BJP leader Varun Gandhi campaigned for his mother and party's Sultanpur candidate Maneka Gandhi. "There is only one constituency in the country where its people do not call its MP as 'Sansad' but as 'Maa'...I am here not just to gather support for my mother but the mother of Sultanpur," Varun said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma told news agency ANI, "Congress is immersed in corruption and appeasement. They indulge in family politics and see nothing else besides one family. Rahul Gandhi's grandmother-father, Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi had given the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao'."

"They are giving the same slogan today too. What did you do for this country?" he added.

Addressing an election rally in Delhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, " PM Modi was asked in an interview that in India rich people are getting richer, poor people are getting poorer, what is your opinion on this? PM Modi thought for 30 seconds and he said, should I make everyone poor?"

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said, "When there is a double engine government, how much benefit is given in poor welfare schemes, today states like Uttar Pradesh are taking advantage of it."

"For the last 4 years, PM Modi has been providing the facility of free ration and will do so for the next 5 years, but in Odisha, the government here is surrounded by bureaucrats in such a way that they try to encash the facility of free ration in their own name...Naveen Patnaik's government does not want to allow the 'Ayushman' scheme to be implemented here," he added.

BJP leader and Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi reached Sultanpur on Thursday to campaign for his mother Maneka Gandhi who is in the fray from the seat on a BJP ticket. Addressing a poll meeting, Varun Gandhi highlighted the close connection of her mother with the public.

"Elections are going on everywhere in the country... but there is only one region in the country where people don't call their MP, Sansad ji, Mantri ji, or by her name, but call her mata ji," Varun Gandhi said amid applause from the people gathered to hear him.

(via PTI)

Several shops were torched by an angry mob in Nandigram town of West Bengal's East Medinipur district on Thursday after a local woman Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was killed.

Heavy police deployment was made in the area to control the situation. READ FULL STORY

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday hit out at the BJP government for "unemployment, corruption and inflation" in Haryana.

"The public is fed up with the rampant inflation, corruption and instability of the BJP and is going to bring about a big change)," she said in a post in Hindi on X.

The Congress will win all seats in the state with a huge margin, she said. Earlier, she led a roadshow to garner support for party nominee Kumari Selja for the May 25 Lok Sabha poll in Haryana.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said if the 'double engine' government is formed in Odisha, bulldozers will be used against all kinds of mafia. Addressing an election rally in the Chilika assembly constituency under the Puri Lok Sabha seat, Yogi said, “Give us strength to form a double engine government in Odisha so that we can clear the path by running bulldozers on 'land, sand, forest and cattle' mafia in the state, as we did in Uttar Pradesh."

The term "double engine" is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state.

“The BJD government is surrounded by servile coterie and when they surround any government, it gives birth to dictatorship. Then corruption increases, the poor are exploited and the administration collapses,” news agency PTI quoted Adityanath as saying.

On Calcutta High Court's decision to cancel all OBC certificates issued in West Bengal after 2010, state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar said, "You are challenging and approaching the Supreme Court, you have every right to do so. But the thing is that the manner in which the High Court is being questioned, Justices are being questioned will make people lose faith in the judiciary..."

"But the CM is questioning judiciary and creating doubts in the minds of people so that they don't trust judiciary. This is premeditated - INDI Alliance is trying to do this, that raise questions on the systems in place in India and collapse the system," Majumdar said on Mamata Banerjee's refusal to accept the order of the court.

In his public meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Sant Kabir Nagar, Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah said, "In five phases, PM Modi has crossed the 310 mark and moving towards 400.

"If you see Rahul Baba somewhere, tell him that he is not getting more than 40 seats, Akhilesh Yadav won't cross the target of four seats...," Shah added.

Repolling is underway on Thursday in two booths in the Kantamal assembly segment under the Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha’s Boudh district, amid tight security, an official said

The voting commenced at 7 am at booth numbers 26 and 28 of the assembly seat and will continue till 4 pm.

The Election Commission ordered repolling, following allegations of rigging in the two booths during the second phase of simultaneous elections to five Lok Sabha seats and 35 assembly segments in the state on May 20.

Addressing an election rally in Haryana's Mahendragarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the gathering that in this election, "you will not only choose country's PM but also decide its future."

"On one side is your tried and tested 'sewak' Modi, no one knows who is leading the other side," PM Modi said.

PM Narendra Modi in his address at a public gathering in Haryana's Bhiwani on Thursday said that China thrashed India after "the bubble of Pandit Nehru's aura burst in 1962".

"...'1962 mein, pandit Nehru ke aura ka gubbara jo phoot gya, China ke haathon jo hamari pitaayi huyi' [China thrashed India after "the bubble of Pandit Nehru's aura burst in 1962] ... they [Congress] held our military responsible for that defeat," PM Modi said.

"That family even today keep looking for opportunities to demean our military. And in a sense of revenge, they have thrown Rs 500 and said that OROP [One Rank One Pension] will be done. Modi has told that what it means to implement OROP...," PM Modi said.

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This is very important election, it's an election to save democracy, Constitution, Sonia Gandhi said in video message to people of Delhi two days ahead of the Lok Sabha election voting day.

Voting for all seven seats in Delhi will take place on May 25, the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024.

"Election being fought on issues like unemployment, inflation; you have to play your part in this fight," Sonia Gandhi told the people of Delhi.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of West Bengal on Thursday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Governor CV Ananda Bose, alleging that he canvassed for the BJP by wearing their party symbol at an event in Kolkata. 

In a complaint to the Chief Election Commissioner, the TMC claimed that the Governor was "seen to be wearing a BJP logo" on his chest while attending the event at Ram Temple in Kolkata.

"It is to bring to your kind knowledge and attention that C V Ananda Bose, the Hon'ble Governor of the State of West Bengal has been using his good office for canvassing for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the ensuing general elections to the Lok Sabha," the TMC said in its complaint.

On the killing of a woman BJP worker in West Bengal's Nandigram, Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said, "BJP workers fight for the nation and development of the state and go ahead - be it West Bengal or Chapra in Bihar. All these people are strangling democracy...We are going to win 30 seats there."

The voter turnout in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls held on May 20 has now been revised to 62.2 per cent, the Election Commission said on Thursday, adding that women outnumbered men in voting.

According to an EC statement, 61.48 per cent of the registered male voters turned up at the polling stations as compared to 63 per cent of female electors.

In phase 5, a total of 49 seats across six states and two union territories went for polling where over 8.95 crore people, including 4.69 crore men, 4.26 crore women and 5409 third gender were eligible to vote.

The participation of women in voting was higher as compared to men in Bihar, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.

Making an address at a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar, Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah attributed several big developments in the country to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Who can protect the country from coronavirus? Who can send Chandrayan to the moon?... Who can give gas connection to crores of poor? Who can give rations to 80 crore people? Who can bear the health expense of up to Rs 5 lakhs of more than 30 crore people? Who can let tap water to 14 crore houses? Who can build toilets in 12 crore houses? If Modi can do everything, to whom you should make the PM?" Amit Shah Said.

Addressing an election rally in Punjab's Patiala on Thursday, Prime Minister took a swipe at the Opposition saying their bloc 'INDIA' neither neither has a leader nor any intent.

Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the BJP believes women should be treated as "second-class citizens" and that its ideological parent RSS does not allow women to enter its 'shakhas'.

Addressing an all-women election meeting in Delhi's Mangolpuri in support of the Congress' North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat candidate Udit Raj, Rahul Gandhi said though the BJP passed the women's reservation bill in Parliament with much pomp and show, later it said that it will be implemented after 10 years.

On the last day of campaigning for the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 25, Rahul Gandhi also took a metro ride and interacted with people.

"Met fellow passengers and enquired about their well-being -- I am happy to see that our initiative of building metro in Delhi has proved so convenient for public transportation," the former Congress president said in a post on X in Hindi.

While addressing a public rally in Kolkata, CM Mamata Banerjee said, “I started the election campaign on March 31, today it is May 23; it has been almost two months that all the development works have been halted due to elections. No work is being done in the country except for election campaigns, advertisements, rallies and disinformation. The election is being conducted in so many phases just to help one person; the person who is the current Prime Minister of India. He will become ‘ex Prime Minister' in a few days. To help that ‘caretaker’ Prime Minister, election schedule has been stretched in such hot climate.”

After a BJP worker died in an attack by miscreants on a few houses last night, security personnel have been deployed in Nandigram, Purba Medinipur.

Earlier today, the BJP workers in Nandigram protested and blocked road. Local party workers allege that the attack was carried out by TMC workers.

Answering questions on PM Modi's May 25 visit, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "If they have crossed 400, why are they coming to Bihar again and again? Today, Amit Shah is staying (in Patna), then PM is coming. Why? Because they are not not getting good feedback from Bihar, so they are trying their best."

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday alleged that the Congress wants to impose "jizya-like inheritance tax" so that it could distribute properties among infiltrators.

Addressing election rallies in Purvi and Paschim Champaran Lok Sabha constituencies before the end of campaigning, the BJP leader labelled Congress and RJD as "anti-India, anti-Ram and anti-people" and alleged that the two parties would "rob" SCs, STs and OBCs of quotas and give those to Muslims.

"The spirit of Aurangzeb has entered Congress leaders... they want to levy inheritance tax on the lines of 'jizya', which was imposed on non-Muslims during the Mughal era. The Congress plans to distribute your properties among 'ghuspathiye' (infiltrators) from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. But the BJP will not allow it to happen," he alleged.

-PTI